State Rep. Sean Dougherty (D-172nd dist.) held a recent town hall meeting at St. Cecilia auditorium.
Dougherty introduced himself as a graduate of St. Albert the Great, La Salle High School, Chestnut Hill College and Temple Law School. His office is at 7801 Hasbrook Avenue (at Hartel Avenue), and he thanked his staff for their work. The sign outside the office is still one with former Rep. Kevin Boyle’s name on it.
In Harrisburg, Dougherty is deputy director of the newly former Law Enforcement Caucus. He is happy to see overall crime down in the 2nd and 7th police districts.
Dougherty is sponsoring House Bill 643, which would raise the cap on realty transfer tax revenues deposited into Pennsylvania’s Housing and Rehabilitation Enhancement Fund, enabling more older adults, families of low and moderate income and people with special housing needs to receive assistance.
Dougherty is co-sponsoring a number of bills.
• Bryan’s Law would extend death benefits to the families of first responders who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of their line of work. Bryan Gray was a state trooper and former U.S. Army Green Beret who committed suicide.
• The Family Care Act would create a statewide paid family and medical leave insurance program for people to care for themselves and their families following the birth of a child or when serious illness strikes.
• A bill would authorize Pennsylvania to join the Social Work Licensure Compact, allowing social workers who have or are eligible for an active license in Pennsylvania to apply for a multi-state license.
• Rep. Roni Green’s bill would raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour, with cost-of-living adjustments in all future years, and give municipalities the power to set an even higher minimum wage.
• Dougherty is also joining some of his Democratic colleagues in pushing for a constitutional amendment to add a 4 percent tax on any individual’s annual income above $1 million.
Dougherty also spoke of his support for bills that would establish universal pre-kindergarten; keep families eligible for child care if a work raise or promotion puts them over the income threshold; regulate PFAS chemicals in water and consumer products; require every health facility to create a violence prevention committee with frontline worker representation; and provide more money for public transit. ••
Rep. Sean Dougherty will hold a senior expo on Friday, May 2, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at CORA Services, 8540 Verree Road. To register, call 215-331-2600.
